1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tobacco smoke ventilating assemblies and, more particularly, to an improved tobacco smoke mouthpiece which reduces tar by ventilation and a novel method of making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the smoking tobacco art to form tobacco smoke mouthpiece and/or filter assemblies at one end of smoking articles, the assemblies being provided with ventilating means to introduce ambient air into the assemblies to dilute tobacco smoke as it flows through the assemblies. The ventilation means serves to reduce the quantity of smoke particulates and gas phase components delivered to the mouth of the smoker.
It also is generally well known in the smoking tobacco art to manufacture such tobacco smoke ventilating assemblies from axially extending filamentous material which is formed into longitudinally extending rods, crimped and then cut to produce unit inner tobacco smoke assemblies which are subsequently overwrapped with tipping materials, some of such unit assemblies being provided with grooved outer walls or channels for smoke or ventilating air passages and some of the tipping materials being air permeable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,447, issued to Richard M. Berger et al, on Jan. 25, 1972; No. 3,690,326 issued to Francis R. Davenport on Sept. 12, 1972; and No. 3,805,682, issued to Henry Lyon et al, on Apr. 23, 1974, all teach such formed and crimped inner tobacco smoke units. Attention also is further directed to U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,416; No. 3,599,646; No. 3,648,711; No. 3,994,306; No. 4,022,221; No. 4,026,306; and No. 4,075,936; all of which further suggest such arrangements. However, none of these abovenoted patents teaches or suggests the novel concept of applicant's present invention which, recognizing the importance of a thorough dilution of smoking tobacco and an appropriate diverting delivery of such diluted smoking tobacco to the smoker's mouth, provides a stable, sturdy mouthpiece assembly which accomplishes the same in a straightforward manner with a minimum of parts and material, utilizing a mixing chamber to do so. In addition, the present invention provides a novel method of manufacturing such tobacco mouthpiece assemblies in a series of straightforward, comparatively inexpensive steps, each of which requires comparatively inexpensive and uncomplicated manufacturing equipment in practicing the method steps.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.